Amelia has become the most popular name for girls in Victoria, including those in Sunbury and Macedon Ranges, for the first time but there is no change at the top for boys, with Oliver retaining the crown for a tenth year.
Government Services Minister Gabrielle Williams released the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria lists on January 26, of top 100 popular baby names for boys and girls born last year.
Amelia’s rise to the top has broken a decade-long tussle between Olivia and Charlotte for number one, with Charlotte holding the title in recent years. Oliver, by contrast, has been top of the pile since 2014.
Among boys, Luca and Archie entered the top 10 in 2023 at the expense of William and Theodore. Oscar, James and Sebastian entered the top 20 rankings at the expense of Max, Harry and Liam.
Among the girls, the top 10 names were unchanged from 2022 but Harper, Evelyn and Sienna were new entrants in the top 20, displacing Ruby, Mila and Evie.
While Oliver has had an impressive streak at the top, the name still hasn’t reached the all-time record run. That title belongs to John, which was the longest running top baby name for boys for 23 years, from 1929 to 1951. The longest ruling girls name was Margaret, the top name for 24 years from 1929 to 1952.
In 2023, neither John nor Margaret made the top 100 lists.
Some traditional names, though, are making a comeback. In 2022, Hazel and Theodore appeared in the top 10 baby names for the first time. Hazel improved again in 2023, going from tenth to sixth, although Theodore dropped from eighth to equal 13.
Names with a royal flavour continue to dominate, with Charlotte, Henry, Archie and William placing second, third, eighth and 12 place respectively. The distinctly Australian name of Matilda, meanwhile, has cracked the top 10 list for girls for the past three years.
Some of the less common names in the top 100 lists include Zayn, August and Phoenix for boys, and Harlow and Quinn for girls.
In 2023, 72,932 births were registered in Victoria, including 514 Olivers and 333 Amelias.
Parents have 60 days to register their baby’s name and can do so easily online with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Details: bdm.vic.gov.au/names.
